Warrior Square was designated a Conservation Area in 1990 and includes property numbers 1-43 (odd) Warrior Square North.
The History of Warrior Square
The Warrior Square estate was formed from a 13 acre field at the corner of the High Street and Southchurch Road. The field was subdivided into plots and auctioned in 1881 for the speculative development of shops and houses. A private garden in the centre of the estate had already been "tastefully laid out with tennis and croquet lawns and planted with beds of flowers and ornamental shrubs" and was to be reserved for the use of the Square's future residents, on payment of an annual fee of one guinea.
This garden was probably intended to encourage the estate's development in a location which, at that time, was seen as a little distant from the town's main attraction, the seafront, and from other developing areas. The garden did not achieve this purpose, and despite other incentives, development was slow. It took twenty years before the Square was substantially completed by which time Southend's late Victorian development boom was well under way. Development here took place in 1896 (nos. 13-43) and 1901 (nos. 1-11).
The south and west sides of the original Square have been largely redeveloped and the houses on the east side are of a later period. The Conservation Area, therefore, is confined to the surviving Victorian terrace on the north side and the central gardens which are now in public use.
Warrior Square’s Architectural Interest
Warrior Square is one of only two Victorian residential squares built in Southend (the other is Prittlewell Square).The north side of the Square has not been greatly altered and presents an attractive façade of typical late Victorian terraced housing with appropriate detailing and materials. The houses were built in pairs with mirrored designs. Consequently, the terrace has a good degree of design unity although there are subtle variations in design.
Development in the Conservation Area
All development in the Conservation Area including alterations such as changing windows and roofing materials should follow guidance set out in the Design and Townscape Guide in particular Section 9 Historic Buildings. It is always advisable to check with the Council if planning permission is needed before undertaking any works to the exterior of a property in the conservation area.